git: 52d81f7c92 - main - Status/2026Q3/vision-accessibility.adoc: Add report

The branch main has been updated by salvadore:

URL: https://cgit.FreeBSD.org/doc/commit/?id=52d81f7c92337268a53bcd11cdbb1e5ef3e1a581

commit 52d81f7c92337268a53bcd11cdbb1e5ef3e1a581
Author:     Alfonso S. Siciliano <asiciliano@FreeBSD.org>
AuthorDate: 2026-10-06 22:38:04 +0000
Commit:     Lorenzo Salvadore <salvadore@FreeBSD.org>
CommitDate: 2026-10-21 11:58:53 +0000

    Status/2026Q3/vision-accessibility.adoc: Add report
    
    Pull Request:   https://github.com/freebsd/freebsd-doc/pull/726
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+=== Vision Accessibility
+
+Links: +
+link:https://docs.freebsd.org/en/books/accessibility/[Accessibility Handbook] URL: link:https://docs.freebsd.org/en/books/accessibility/[] +
+link:https://gitlab.com/alfix/freebsd-accessibility/[Project repository] URL: link:https://gitlab.com/alfix/freebsd-accessibility/[] +
+link:https://gitlab.com/-/snippets/6065143[LearnBraille] URL: link:https://gitlab.com/-/snippets/6065143[] +
+link:https://gitlab.com/alfix/bsddialog[bsddialog] URL: link:https://gitlab.com/alfix/bsddialog[]
+
+Contact: Accessibility <accessibility@FreeBSD.org> +
+Contact: Alfonso S. Siciliano <asiciliano@FreeBSD.org>
+
+Vision Accessibility is a project focused on improving visual accessibility in FreeBSD by documenting, developing, and integrating assistive technologies for blind and visually impaired users.
+
+==== High-contrast Theme
+
+During this quarter, work focused mainly on Milestone 2: creating new accessible themes for TUI utilities in the FreeBSD base system, with the ability to select one during the OS installation.
+
+The next version of bsddialog was developed as part of this work, with a focus on improving its theming support.
+The theming code was reorganized and improved, and the bsddialog_theme.h API was extended to allow applications to select and customize themes more easily and automatically.
+
+In particular, the library initialization process now uses *bsddialog_get_auto_theme()*, which automatically detects the theme to use.
+If available, the theme can be selected through a centralized system-wide or user-specific configuration file.
+This allows utilities in the FreeBSD base system, such as man:tzsetup[8] and man:bsdinstall[8], as well as ports such as package:ports-mgmt/portconfig[], to use the same theme configuration without requiring individual changes to each application.
+
+Several accessibility-oriented themes were also improved or added:
+
+* Improved the built-in black-and-white theme.
+  It was originally designed for terminals without color support, but it is also useful for presenting information without relying on colors alone.
+* Added a theme without red, using black, blue, cyan, white, and yellow.
+* Added a theme without yellow and blue, using black, green, red, and white.
+* Added a new high-contrast theme, using black, magenta, white, and yellow.
+
+The new functionality has been documented in the manual pages, with new examples, and in the bsddialog CHANGELOG.
+
+The design and implementation phases have been completed, and testing is now starting.
+The new functionality is currently available only in the main branch of the bsddialog repository.
+
+The next steps are to complete testing, release version 1.2, update the package:devel/bsddialog[] port, and import the new version into FreeBSD BASE.
+
+==== Braille display devices
+
+During this quarter, a HumanWare BrailleNote Apex was acquired for use in the upcoming milestones.
+A suitable charger was received and the device was successfully tested.
+The Braille display and keyboard are working, as is the built-in speech synthesizer.
+
+Although the Braille subsystem is planned for a future milestone, initial experimentation has already started because designing and integrating such a subsystem is a complex task.
+These first tests are intended to provide practical information for its future design and implementation.
+
+The BrailleNote Apex is not simply a Braille display, but a Braille notetaker running Windows Embedded CE 6.0.
+It provides a one-dimensional user interface through KeySoft, with applications such as a word processor, email, web browsing, and other functionality.
+The Apex was also connected to an external monitor through VGA, which made it easier to explore and better understand its functionality.
+
+Using the Apex requires familiarity with Braille, both for writing through the Braille keyboard and for reading through the Braille display.
+For this reason, LearnBraille was also developed and used.
+It is a simple Lua script that uses package:devel/liblouis[] to provide a quiz for practicing Braille characters.
+
+The Apex was connected to FreeBSD through USB and used in its "Screen Reader Terminal" mode, which allows the device to operate as a Braille display connected to another computer.
+The device is recognized by man:uipaq[4], and communication is provided through the man:ucom interface[4].
+This is consistent with the device's architecture, as the Apex runs Windows Embedded CE 6.0.
+
+Initial communication tests were successful in both directions.
+Data was sent from FreeBSD to the Braille display, including a simple "Hello World, FreeBSD!" message rendered on the Braille cells.
+Characters typed on the Braille keyboard were also received by FreeBSD.
+In this direction, each Braille character is represented by one byte, with its bits corresponding to the Braille dots.
+
+Further tests, documentation, and information about the progress and results of this work will be provided in future reports.
+
+Sponsor: The FreeBSD Foundation